Steam injector with automatic shifting valve



March Z 1926. 15574398 H. DEUTSCH STEAM INJECTOlR WITH AUTOMATIC SHIFTNGVALVE Original Filed Feb. 9, 1925 INVENTOR afe, WT@

ATTRNEYs i Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l

HANS DEUTSCH, OF VIENNA, AUSTRIA.

` STEAM INJECTOR WITH AUTOMATIC SHIFTING VALVE.

Application tiled-February 9, 1925, Serial'No. 7,898. Renewed November19, 1925.

To all lwhom it may concern.'

Be 1t known that I, HANS DEUTSCH, a citizen of Austr1a, and resident ofVienna,

`Austria, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in SteamInjectors with Automatic Shifting Valves, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to that type of steam injectors for locomotiveengines which operate with live steam and exhaust steam While the engineproper is running so that a supply of exhaust .steam is available. Ifthe engine is standing still, or if it is running idle, so that noexhaust steam is produced, an injector of the type requiring both livesteam and exhaust steam for its operation would Icease to function underthe conditions above referred to, when. the supply of exhaust steamstops. My present invention relates to an improvement in injectors ofthe type mentioned, and has for its object to insure'the properoperation of such an in- A jector even whenno exhaust steam is beingsupplied thereto. .In order to accomplish this I provide a special novelarrangement whereby, when the supplyof exhaust steam stops, anadditional supply of live steam is brought into action automatically,this additiona live steam being preferably in an expanded condition,that is to say, at a com paratively low pressure, corresponding sub--stantially to the usual exhaust pressure. In

the preferred form of` my invention, an automatic valve is employed tocontrol the shifting from one mode of operation (live steam combinedwith exhaust steam) to the other (live steam alone), and said valve iscontrolled by the pressure in the slide Valve chest, the main steampipe, or some other part receiving steam when the engine proper is inoperation.

'A typical and satisfactory example of my invention is illustrated bythe accompanying drawing in longitudinal section.

Exhaust steam is admitted through the inlet 1 while high pressure livesteam from the boiler reaches the inner or supplementary live steamnozzle 13 through a steam @conduit 2. A portion of this nozzle is surrounded by an annular chamber 3 receiving at times steam under areduced pressure the nozzle 13, and isA directed toward the which in theposition illustrated rests` with A its small lower end 7 upon a suitableseat in such a way as to close theientrance to the steam conduit 4. Theupper end: 8 of this valve is of larger diameter and is adapted toengage a corresponding upper seat. In the position illustrated, the livesteam coming from the boiler through the inlet 10 has access to theauxiliary live steam conduit 2 and also to the upper fa of the valve 6,throu'gh a pressure-redu ing constricted lopening 1'9 which leads intothe chamber 20 containing the automatic valve 6. The automatic valve isthus balanced, and is held to its lower seat by gravity. This valve hasan upward projection 6 adapted to engage a fluid pressure actuatedmember 12 located in a chamber 9 which by means of a conduit llcommunicates with the slide valve chest, the main steam pipe, or so-meother part in which a high steam pressure prevails while the engineproper is runnin The member 12 which may be of any suita leconstruction, but which is shown as a valve is adapted, when held to itspower position by steam pressure in the chamber 9, to prevent movementof the automatic valve to its upper position. The seating surface at theupper.` end 8 of the valve 6 may be roughened, .or some other expedientmay be adopted to produce a joint that will not be quite tight,

so that even when the valve 6 is closed small amounts of steam will leakor. pass from the chamber 20 to the chamber 9a.v Similarly, the seatingsurface of. valve 12 may be constructed to allow a slight leakage,

yand furthermore, this valve may be moved ofi'y its seat by springpressure so as to close only when the steam pressure in the chamber '9exceeds a predetermined amount.

11 with the slide valve.' chest or with Vthe steam pi leading from thethrottle valve to the shde valve chest and therefore the gage its lowerseat and thus shut olf the admission of live steam from the conduit 10to the conduit 4. During the injection of feed water, the full boilerpressure will exist at the inlet 10, and small amounts of steam willpass from this inlet through the opening 19 into the chamber 20, andfrom the latter through the narrow slit at. the upper end of theshifting valve 6 into the` chamber 9a. From this chamber the steam willpass to the chamber 9, the valvel 12 either being slightly olf itsseat,or ifseated, being constructed to .allow leakage, as explained above.The injector under these conditions will operate with live steam flowingthrough 10, 12, 13 and with exhaust steam {iowing froml 1 to 5.

When the throttle of the locomotive is closed, so that the engine willrun Without steam, the pressure in the conduit 11 and chamber 9 willdrop to such an extent thatv the velocity ofthe-steam flowing throughthe linlet 10 to the chamber 9 will be sufficient to lift the automaticvalve 6 and bring it against its upper seat, because the upper end 8 ofl said'valve is of larger seating surface than its lower end 7 With theautomatic valve 6 in'` its upper position` the'chamber 20vwill be placedin communication with the i auxiliary live steam conduit 4, lso thatlive steam will pass through the conduit 4 as Well as through theconduit 2. In this case the injector will work with live steam alone,

the 'steam .flowing througlf the conduit 4 havingthe same function aspreviously performed by the exhaust steam. If, as suggested above, thevalve 6 or its upperseat are so constructed as to permit leakage whenthe valve is seated upwardly, or if other means are provided to obtain aleak or bleeding action, fsmall amounts of steam will pass from thechamber 9 to the chamber 9 andthence throughvthe conduit 11 to the slidevalve chest. Such steam iswasted, but

the amount of'waste is sov small as to be immaterial lin its effect onthe eiiciency of the It is important to reduce the pressure of the Steampassing through the auxiliary live steam conduit 4, before such' steareaches the nozzles. Inrthe specific examp e illustrated, this reductionis obtained by throttling the live steam at the opening 19, before suchsteam reaches the automatic valve controlling the inlet of the conduit4. Under these conditions, with'the valve lifted against its upper seat,the` pressure in chamber 2O willbe comparatively low,and thus, whenthe'cngineer again opens the throttle valve, a relatively low pressurein the slide valve chest will suffice to enable the fluid pressuremember 12 to press the automatic valve 6 against its lower seat,therebya cutting'olf the supply of steam to the auxiliary live steamconduit 4. i

Various modifications maybe made with out departing fronrthe nature ofmy invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim: e

1. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a valve chamber andmeans for connecting said chamber with a part containing stcamsubstantially under boiler pressure only,when the engine is inoperation, a valve located "in lsaid chamber and f adapted. to be urgedtoward its seat-by such pressure, an inlet for high pressure steam,

a nozzle in permanent communication with .said inlet, an inlet forvexhaust steam, a

second nozzle in permanent communication with said exhaust inlet, aconduit for conveying high pressure steam (coming from the high pressuresteam inlet to said second nozzle, a second chamber the communication ofwhich with the first named chamber is controlled by said valve, and ashifting valve having seating surfaces of different sizes,

the. larger seating surface controlling the communication of said secondchamber with the high pressure steam inlet, While the smaller seatingysurface of said shifting valve controls the communication of said high'pressure steam inlet with the conduit lead-l ing to said second nozzle,whereby the shift-A ing valve will be seated on its larger seatingsurface whenever the-high pressure 'prevalling at the high pressuresteam inlet exceeds.

by a predetermined amount, the'pressure existing in the first mentionedvalve chamber,

'connecting said chamber with a part containing steam substantiallyunder boiler pressure only when the engine is in o eration, a valvelocated in'said chamber an arranged to be seated by said pressure, ashifting v alve having seating surfaces ofdifferent sizes,

the larger seating surface facing the first named valve, and theshifting valve, When seated on such larger seating surface, form-l ingastop for thejirst named valve to prevent the latter from becomingseated, an

lll)

inlet for boiler steam, a nozzle in permanent commumcatlon with saidinlet, an 1nlet for exhaust steam, a second nozzle in permanent'communication with said exhaustinlet, ,and

a/ conduit for .leading live steam to said second nozzle, thecommunication of said 4 nection for supplying steam under pressure,

a valve in said chamber, arranged to be seated by such pressure, ashifting valve having a relatively large seating surface at one end anda relatively small seatin surface at the other end, the end with theargeiseating surface' beingf directed toward the first named valve, andthe shifting valve, when seated with its lai-ger end, formin a stop toprevent the first-named valve rom be- 4 coming seated, an inlet forhighpressure steam, an injector nozzle in permanent coininunication withsaidinlet, an inlet forexhaust steam, `a second nozzle in permanentcommunication with said exhaust inlet., and a conduit for leading thehigh pressure steam to said second nozzle, the communication of saidconduit with the high pressure steam inlet being controlled by the smallend of said shifting valve, and means whereby the pressure of the steam{iowing from the high pressure inlet to said second nozzle through saidconduit will be reduced before such steam reaches this nozzle.

4. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a valve chamber andmeans for connecting said chamber with a part containing steamsubstantially under boiler pressure only when the engine is inoperaftion, a valve located in said chamber and fr adapted to be urgedtoward its seat by such pressure, an inlet for high pressure steam, anozzle in permanent communication with said inlet, an inlet for exhauststeam, a second nozzle in permanent communication l with said exhaustinlet, a conduit for conveying high pressure steam coming from the highpressure steam inlet to said second nozzle, a second chamber thecommunication of which with the first named chamber is controlled bysaid valve, and a shifting valve having seating surfaces of diiferentsizes, the larger seating surface controlling the communication of thesaid second chamber with the high pressure. steam inlet, while thesmaller seating surface of said shifting valve controls thecommunication of said high pressure steam inlet with the conduit leadingtoV` said second nozzle, whereby the shifting valve will be seated onits larger seating surface whenever the high pressure prevaling at thehighpressure\steam inlet exceeds by a predetermined amount, the pressureexisting in the first mentionedivalve chamber, thereby admitting highpressure steam to said second nozzle, whereas in the absence of suchpressure difference the .shifting valve will shut oli' high pressuresteam from said second nozzle, said shifting valve,

steam con uits, a

when seated on its larger seating surface, forming a stop to prevent thefirst named valve from becoming seated.

5. An apparatus of the class described, comprising a valve chamberhaving a connection for supplying steam under pressure, a valve in saidchamber, arranged to be seated by such pressure, 'a shifting valvehaving a relatively large seating surface at one end and a relativelysmall seatin surface at the other end, the end with tie larger seatingsurface being directed toward the first named'valve, and the shiftingvalve, when seated with its larger end, forming a stop to prevent thefirst-named valve from becoming seated, an inlet for high pressuresteam, an injector nozzle in permanent communication with said inlet, aninlet for exhaust-steam, a second nozzle in permanent communication withsaid exhaust inlet, and a conduit for leading the high pressure Steamtosaid second'nozzle, the communication ot' said conduit with the highpressure steam inlet being controlled by the small end of said shiftingvalve, and means for throttling the high pressure steam on its way 7fromthe high pressure steam inlet to said conduit, before such steam reachesthe shifting valve.

6. The combination with an exhaust steam injector havinl conduitsconnected therewith for supp ying exhaust steam, supplementary livesteam and auxiliary live steam to said injector, of an automatic valvefor controllin the admission of live steam to said auxi' iary conduit,and a connection valve being inte osed between said connection and saidauxiliary live steam 'conduit to be o erated by the steam passing tosaid l.

om a source of live steam, said automatic valve being interposed betweensaid eonnection and said'auxiliary live steam conduit to `be operated bythe steam passing to said auxiliary conduit, said automatic valve beingfurther provided `with a restricted passageway between said connectionand said auxiliary) live steam conduit to throttle the live steam.

8. The combination with an exhaust steam injector havin conduitsconnected therewith .for supp ying exhaust steam, supple- 'mentary livesteam and auxiliary live steam to said injector, of a valve casinghaving an inlet adapted to be connected to a source'of live steam, and apair of outlets connected to said su Elementary. and auxiliaryl live iasvfluid pressure actuated no means in said casing connected with a steamline of the engine, and a" valve in co-operative relationship with said.liud pressure means, and movable to either of two posi- 5 tions in oneof which it permits'coinlnunication between said inlet and auxiliarylive steam conduit, and in the other of which positions, it shuts oft'4such communication,-

the movement of said valve being automatically accomplished by the steampassing to said auxiliary live steam conduit and being controlled by theposition ot' said Huid pressure means.

`9. The combination with an exhaust steam l5 injector having conduitsconnected therewith for supplying exhaust steam, supplementary livesteam and auxiliary live steam -to said injector, of a valve casinghaving an inlet connected with a source of live steam,

0 and outlets connected to said supplementary l and auxiliary live steamconduits, a valve mounted in said casing. and movable to either of twopositions, in one of which it permits the steam to iow to said auxiliarylive steam conduit and in the otherprevents such flow, a iuidpressure-actuated means in ]uxtaposition to said valve, and a connectionbetween said fluid. pressure means and a steam line of theengine forcausing .the movementof said valve to be automati` cally controlled inaccordance with the pressure conditions in said steam line.

.avalve mounted in said casing and movable to either of two positions,in one of which it permits the steam toflow to, said auxiliary -livesteau'i conduit, and in the other prevents such lo\v,the pressure ofthesteani within said casing fiowing' to said auxiliary conduit normallytending to move said .Valve to'said first named position, a Huidpressure actuated means adjacent to said valve, and a connection from alsteam line of the engine to said means for causing said fluid pressure`means to hold said valve in said other posi-l tion when steam underpressure is present in said steam line.

11. A combination as set forth in claim 10,/ in which the valve casingis provided I with a restricted opening between said inlet and theoutlet for said auxiliary live steam conduit to throttle thepressure ofthe live steam passing to said conduit.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

, HANS DEUTSCH f

